Blake Lively claims that her *It Ends With Us* co-star, Justin Baldoni, sexually harassed her and retaliated against her.

 Lively's complaint alleges that Baldoni, who is also the film's director, fostered a hostile work environment and subsequently attempted to damage her reputation after she raised her concerns.

Dec. 22, 2024, 2:09 AM GMT+6

Blake Lively has accused her co-star, Justin Baldoni, of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment during the filming of It Ends With Us, claiming he tried to damage her reputation after she raised concerns, according to a complaint she filed.

The complaint, submitted to the California Civil Rights Department, alleges that tensions on set escalated to the point where a meeting was called on January 4 to address issues that nearly disrupted the production. Attendees of the meeting included Lively, Baldoni, executives from Sony Pictures Entertainment and Wayfarer Studios, and Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds.

The complaint details several incidents discussed in the meeting, including inappropriate conversations and alleged retaliatory or abusive behavior. It is believed to be a precursor to a lawsuit, with TMZ being the first to report on the complaint, which was later obtained by NBC News.

Bryan Freedman, representing Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and other involved parties, denied the allegations, calling them “categorically false” and suggesting that Lively’s complaint was a “desperate attempt” to repair her reputation, which had been negatively impacted by her behavior during the film’s promotion.

Lively's complaint accuses Baldoni, who also directed the film, of showing her "nude videos or images of women" and engaging in unscripted, non-consensual physical intimacy during filming. One incident reportedly involved Baldoni improvising multiple kisses during a scene, and another involved him insisting on repeating a scene involving a slow dance, during which he allegedly made inappropriate comments and physical gestures, which were not in character.

The complaint also alleges that Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios' CEO, Jamey Heath, pressured Lively into simulating full nudity during a childbirth scene that was not specified in the script. Additionally, Lively claims the set was not closed off to non-essential crew members during the filming of the scene, leaving her exposed.

Lively’s complaint describes further troubling behavior, including Baldoni allegedly suggesting he could communicate with her deceased father, attempting to enter her trailer while she was nude, and making comments to her fitness trainer about her body. The complaint also touches on Baldoni and Heath discussing their personal sexual experiences and pornography addiction on set.

Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is distributing the film, had not responded to requests for comment by the time of the report. While Sony is not named as a defendant, Lively’s complaint accuses Baldoni of using a crisis communications team to launch a “retaliatory social manipulation campaign” to damage her reputation during the film's promotional period.

The film, which garnered attention for suspected behind-the-scenes tensions, follows Lively's character, Lily Bloom, and her abusive relationship with Baldoni’s character, Ryle Kincaid. Fans speculated about a rift between the cast members after observing awkward red carpet interactions and the fact that Baldoni did press separately from his co-stars.

The complaint suggests that Baldoni altered the film's marketing strategy, which had initially focused on hope rather than domestic violence, in order to explain the cast’s social media behavior and damage Lively’s reputation following her objections on set.

Freedman, Baldoni's attorney, claimed that the crisis communications team was hired because Lively had threatened to refuse to promote the film or appear on set during filming. He added that Wayfarer responded to media inquiries to ensure balanced reporting but did not engage in retaliatory actions.

Lively hopes that her legal action will expose the tactics used to retaliate against those who speak up about misconduct and help protect others who may face similar treatment.